College students planning on applying to medical school are often looking for pre med jobs with clinical experience. There are many factors which go into a strong medical school application. Having clinical experience, where you learn from healthcare providers and interact with patients, is one factor which puts you above other applicants. In an earlier article, I described my experience as a medical scribe and explained what scribes do. As a reminder, scribes document a patient’s visit in a electronic health record by following a doctor while feverishly typing information into a computer. My choice to become a scribe was motivated by my interest in healthcare, wanting clinical experience and my long term goal of becoming a physician.
A Pre Med Job with Clinical Experience
The role played by a scribe is no easy feat, but the position is highly sought after by thousands of college students and graduates yearly. This job caters to college students and recent graduates who plan to matriculate to medical, physician assistant, and nursing schools. Scribe experience is a great talking point during medical school interviews. Furthermore, the experience will show you are interested in healthcare and put your application above other applicants without clinical experience.
Is a Healthcare Job Right For You?
Through clinical scribing you will get the experience you need to decide if becoming a doctor or other healthcare provider is something you want to pursue. Ask any current or former medical scribe and they will tell you one thing: it is not for everyone. This is one of the few pre med jobs which will get you up close to the action.
A prospective scribe must have the willpower and determination to push through whatever they encounter while shadowing a physician, especially in a hospital emergency department.
Lenore Langley
A scribe must keep a positive mindset. It is essential for growth and endurance. In the beginning, I faltered badly and went through a period of self-doubt, which I managed to overcome. However, now I have much more self confidence and know medical school is something a want to pursue.
Cases will range from simple lacerations to gunshot wounds. A scribe must never skip a beat. There is a learning curve that we all go through. While I may not have had a long time in the industry, I am grateful for the things I have learned. Becoming a scribe opened my mind to endless possibilities and a large library of medical terminology that will place me a cut above other medical school applicants.
Scribing is Great for Medical School Recommendations
From my experience, time management and an open mind will take you far. Don’t be afraid to ask questions if you are unsure about anything in the emergency medical record. After all, people’s lives are at stake. Another important thing is to build rapport with the physicians you work with. They will be happy to provide school recommendations for you in the future and possibly open doors for you in more ways than one.
Being a scribe is an experience that will make or break a person, but it stays with you for life. The pay isn’t good but the wealth of knowledge is outstanding for a pre med job. As you move further along in your medical career, you will reflect on the knowledge you have amassed and the scenarios you have witnessed. This will likely make you a better person and someday a better clinician.